Dias of the Sun People
by StreakingHerculobus
Summary: The X-Men are gathering their strongest team, including the controversial Rogue, in anticipation of finishing the battle for mutant rights. The Brotherhood, the government, and even the Avengers better get out the X-Men's way, but in the process does the distinguished Charles Xavier compromise his own ideals?


Chapter One: The Recruitment of Rogue

Professor Xavier was stoic as he guided his wheelchair to where his focus lied, a troubled young individual to whom he hoped he would be of assistance. The facility he was currently in was Crossmore, a prison in Great Britain designed to house enhanced humans. Many mutants certainly fell under this category, such as the one he was about to meet. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Nick Fury, permitted this visit today, as a very costly favor. In two weeks, the prisoner, arrested in Newark, would be flown back to her native country, the United States, to face trial. _Unless_, Xavier could help her situation.

This section of Crossmore was of the lowest security. The cells were arranged in a ring, the doors and monitoring glasses on the perimeter, while each prisoner's bath and toilet sat further towards the middle. Since it was a superhuman containment area, prisoners did not leave their cells.

He slowed to a stop before the subject, a girl of 25. He wanted to say young woman, but the lost look in her eyes spelled a lack of maturity one would expect of her age. Just being near her, he could sense the overwhelming busyness going on in her head. How she, a non-psychic (or at least he thought), could stand it, he did not know.

She was sitting on her bed, facing the side with her legs stretched out in front of her, heels resting on the metal floor. There was no way she did not notice him, but nevertheless, she did not glance up from her study of the patterns on her pillowcase, the only decoration in her otherwise bland room.

"Rogue," the psychic tried, "My name is Charles Xavier. I am a professor at a school for people such as yourself." No reaction. "I'm not going to claim to know your situation, but I know more than most. Certainly, more than the authorities."

No reply. The professor shortly realized that he would have to try a different tactic.

_Rogue, I am here to help you should you accept._

That seemed to catch her attention. She glanced up while uncrossing her legs. "Just what ah need," spoken with no shortness of sarcasm and a flip of her bangs, "Another voice in mah head."

Her body instantly froze, as if that information wasn't supposed to get out.

"It's okay," Xavier reassured her. "That is part of the reason I am here. I know you face unique challenges. Trust me when I say I am uniquely qualified to help you, and I ask nothing in return. You are a mutant. So am I. That is enough for the likes of me."

"So mebbe yer like that Magneto then, huh? Ah see him on the telly. How is it that they let a feller like you in here? Ah'll tell you up front, ah'm not interested."

Xavier smiled. "While I admit I know the man called Magneto very well, I promise you I am not like him. And he would tell you so himself. I believe that humans and mutants can coexist peacefully. My school is dedicated to the idea of our two species living in harmony."

Rogue shook her head and resumed staring at the pattern on the pillows, seemingly bored with the conversation. "Yah don't understand. I couldn't give a rat's ass about wut mutants git into. As fare as ah'm concerned, ah wouldn't be in this situation if it wutin' for them existin'. And," she seemed to straighten further up, "if it wutin' for supposedly do-gudders like yourself, ah wutin' be in this situation either."

She looked like she was about to go on, but Xavier couldn't let her convince herself to just flat out refuse.

"I certainly will not argue with your experiences. But I implore you to give me the opportunity to at least explain better. Plus, I will feel very disappointed in myself if I could not at the very least remove you from the government's custody. It pains me to think of the probably unfair treatment that awaits you. In many people's eyes, you are already guilty."

Rogue smirked. "Ah thought you spouted that mutant harmony sunshine and rainbows nonsense. If hits true, then ah got nothin to worry about once I tell 'em mah sob story."

Xavier folded his hands. "Unfortunately, the battle is far from over. But it is winnable. Our lives depend on it."

Rogue stopped to think for a moment. What he suggested did sound an awful close to what her Aunt Destiny shared with her, of a time in the future when mutants would be hunted. Rogue never felt like she'd make it that long, not with her mutation. Either she'd be one of the first to be killed, or simply go insane from all the voices.

Xavier, meanwhile, hesitated to paint such a dire picture, a picture he usually tried to mask, yet it was one he nonetheless wholeheartedly believed. He had seen parts of Destiny's diaries as well. It was one thing both he and Magneto agreed on.

Rogue was certainly different than most of the mutants he attempted to recruit. She saw more of the underbelly of society than the Jean Grey's and Kitty Pryde's. Thus, it took more motivation for her to act. Rogue was content sitting here in a jail cell, so she would be content watching mutants get expelled from school. It wasn't necessarily a character flaw, but it was something the X-Men could change in her he hoped. Give her a sense of community.

"Well, yer pitch is slicker than snot on a doorknob. Like you said though, what do ah have ta lose?'

Their voices were heard first, and then they came around the corner. Nick Fury actually took the time to accompany Xavier today. He said such a large favor deserved his personal attention, and he also wanted to express to the prisoner how close he would be watching her.

"So, it's decided," Fury spread out his hands. "Like the young lady said, you certainly do give a nice speech, Professor. Let's hope you continue to use your oratory skills for stuff that does not relate to my job."

Rogue rolled her eyes. Fury noticed. "As for you, Ms. Darkholme, consider this your only warning. No more throwing around the avengers, and no trouble from you at all. If you even shoplift a nutter butter from Kmart, you'll skip the trial and go directly beneath the pentagon, I'm talking the deepest black site. We might even make good use of your abilities."

Xavier tried to intervene. "I'm sure Rogue gets the point."

"Yer jus' scared, mister secret agent man, from me whoopin' yer favorite band of wiggles from time ta time. Hit makes yah look weak."

"It makes the free world look weak, young lady. Enjoy it while you still can, before the likes of Magneto takes it away from mutants. Now stand up. I've had enough of this country and this rain. I can't wait to get back to Malibu. That's the real reason I was so upset when you called, Xavier."

"What a patriot," Rogue mumbled, as two guards went to escort her by each shoulder.

"The youth has no sense of humour," Fury sighed. "Now where did you park that fancy plane of yours?"

The handoff went smoothly. Xavier told Doctor MacTaggart to fire up the engines, while he said a few words to Rogue. Moira let him know the Blackbird was ready to fly, and he nodded, excusing himself from his newest charge.

"I can't believe they left you in that outfit," she tittered. "Now let's see here…"

Rogue just laughed. "Ol' Fury just wants to humiliate me as much as ah humiliated him. One thing ah've discovered, jus' like Momma told meh, men got fragile egos."

Moira undid the straps in the back and unzipped the fabric gloves around each hand. The outfit covered everything but her face, designed to keep Rogue from purposefully or inadvertently touching anyone.

"No one should be treated this way," Moira stated, as Rogue's fingers came free.

"Well, ah did try to git a few in the beginnin'. After that, Fury said somethin' 'bout nuclear codes, and they thought this up for little ol' me. It did make eatin' and usin' the bathroom more interestin'. They're jus' lucky that Carol's powers have been actin' up."

"Well," Moira looked at Xavier, wondering exactly what he got the X-Men into, "I'm just glad your spirit's in good condition."

Rogue stretched her arms. "Ah'm fit as a fiddle now, but that's easy when you got such low expectations in the first place."

"Indeed," Xavier agreed. "You can only go up from here."

Notes: This story is set in the amalgamation of X-Men/Marvel universes. I basically will pick and choose which aspects will apply. The hardest part of writing Rogue is trying to express her accent, which may be overdone compared to the comics or movies, but I based it on a book called Minnie's Diary. Plus, from the South myself, I've met southern people who speak a lot more country than I've tried to express here.


End file.
